ARTICLE 4. Expedited Environmental Review for Environmentally Mandated Projects [21159. - 21159.4.]

Cal. Public Resources Code - PRC 4.

in effect

Cal. Public Resources Code - PRC § 21159. Section 21159.

(a) An agency listed in Section 21159.4 shall perform, at the time of the adoption of a rule or regulation requiring the installation of pollution control equipment, or a performance standard or treatment requirement, including a rule or regulation that requires the installation of pollution control equipment or a performance standard or treatment requirement pursuant to the California Global Warming Solutions Act of 2006 (Division 25.5 (commencing with Section 38500) of the Health and Safety Code), an environmental analysis of the reasonably foreseeable methods of compliance. In the preparation of this analysis, the agency may utilize numerical ranges or averages where specific data is not available; however, the agency shall not be required to engage in speculation or conjecture. The environmental analysis shall, at minimum, include all of the following: (1) An analysis of the reasonably foreseeable environmental impacts of the methods of compliance. (2) An analysis of reasonably foreseeable feasible mitigation measures. (3) An analysis of reasonably foreseeable alternative means of compliance with the rule or regulation. (4) For a rule or regulation that requires the installation of pollution control equipment adopted pursuant to the California Global Warming Solutions Act of 2006 (Division 25.5 (commencing with Section 38500) of the Health and Safety Code), the analysis shall also include reasonably foreseeable greenhouse gas emission impacts of compliance with the rule or regulation. (b) The preparation of an environmental impact report at the time of adopting a rule or regulation pursuant to this division shall be deemed to satisfy the requirements of this section. (c) The environmental analysis shall take into account a reasonable range of environmental, economic, and technical factors, population and geographic areas, and specific sites. (d) This section does not require the agency to conduct a project-level analysis. (e) For purposes of this article, the term “performance standard” includes process or raw material changes or product reformulation. (f) This section is not intended, and may not be used, to delay the adoption of any rule or regulation for which an analysis is required to be performed pursuant to this section.

Cal. Public Resources Code - PRC § 21159.1. Section 21159.1.

(a) A focused environmental impact report may be utilized if a project meets all of the following requirements: (1) The project consists solely of the installation of either of the following: (A) Pollution control equipment required by a rule or regulation of an agency listed in subdivision (a) of Section 21159.4 and other components necessary to complete the installation of that equipment. (B) Pollution control equipment and other components necessary to complete the installation of that equipment that reduces greenhouse gases required by a rule or regulation of an agency listed in Section 21159.4 pursuant to the California Global Warming Solutions Act of 2006 (Division 25.5 (commencing with Section 38500) of the Health and Safety Code). (2) The agency certified an environmental impact report on the rule or regulation or reviewed it pursuant to a certified regulatory program, and, in either case, the review included an assessment of growth inducing impacts and cumulative impacts of, and alternatives to, the project. (3) The environmental review required by paragraph (2) was completed within five years of certification of the focused environmental impact report. (4) An environmental impact report is not required pursuant to Section 21166. (b) The discussion of significant effects on the environment in the focused environmental impact report shall be limited to project-specific potentially significant effects on the environment of the project that were not discussed in the environmental analysis of the rule or regulation required pursuant to subdivision (a) of Section 21159. A discussion of growth-inducing impacts or cumulative impacts shall not be required in the focused environmental impact report, and the discussion of alternatives shall be limited to a discussion of alternative means of compliance, if any, with the rule or regulation.

Cal. Public Resources Code - PRC § 21159.2. Section 21159.2.

(a) If a project consists solely of compliance with a performance standard or treatment requirement imposed by an agency listed in Section 21159.4, the lead agency for the compliance project shall, to the greatest extent feasible, utilize the environmental analysis required pursuant to subdivision (a) of Section 21159 in the preparation of a negative declaration, mitigated negative declaration, or environmental impact report on the compliance project or in otherwise fulfilling its responsibilities under this division. The use of numerical averages or ranges in an environmental analysis shall not relieve a lead agency of its obligations under this division to identify and evaluate the environmental effects of a compliance project. (b) If the lead agency determines that an environmental impact report on the compliance project is required, the lead agency shall prepare an environmental impact report which addresses only the project-specific issues related to the compliance project or other issues that were not discussed in sufficient detail in the environmental analysis to enable the lead agency to fulfill its responsibilities under Section 21100 or 21151, as applicable. The mitigation measures imposed by the lead agency for the project shall relate only to the significant effects on the environment to be mitigated. The discussion of alternatives shall be limited to a discussion of alternative means of compliance, if any, with the rule or regulation.

Cal. Public Resources Code - PRC § 21159.3. Section 21159.3.

In the preparation of any environmental impact report pursuant to Section 21159.1 or 21159.2, the following deadlines shall apply: (a) A lead agency shall determine whether an environmental impact report should be prepared within 30 days of its determination that the application for the project is complete. (b) If the environmental impact report will be prepared under contract to the lead agency pursuant to Section 21082.1, the lead agency shall issue a request for proposals for preparation of the environmental impact report as soon as it has enough information to prepare a request for proposals, and in any event, not later than 30 days after the time for response to the notice of preparation has expired. The contract shall be awarded within 30 days of the response date for the request for proposals.

Cal. Public Resources Code - PRC § 21159.4. Section 21159.4.

(a) This article shall apply to all of the following agencies: (1) The State Air Resources Board. (2) A district as defined in Section 39025 of the Health and Safety Code. (3) The State Water Resources Control Board. (4) A California regional water quality control board. (5) The Department of Toxic Substances Control. (6) The Department of Resources Recycling and Recovery. (b) This article shall apply to the State Energy Resources Conservation and Development Commission and the California Public Utilities Commission for rules and regulations requiring the installation of pollution control equipment adopted pursuant to the California Global Warming Solutions Act of 2006 (Division 25.5 (commencing with Section 38500) of the Health and Safety Code).

Source: CA Legislative Counsel Bulk DataURL: https://downloads.leginfo.legislature.ca.gov/pubinfo_2025.zipFetched: 6/27/2026